Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has met with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister of Defense Ng Eng Hen and discussed the status of the U.S.-Singapore defense relationship, recent regional security trends, and the importance of the Shangri-La Dialogue.

The secretary thanked Prime Minister Lee and Defense Minister Hen for Singapore’s continued leadership in the region and around the world, particularly with respect to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the counter-ISIL coalition, and the CTF-151 counter-piracy mission. He also thanked the two leaders for their role in hosting the ongoing Shangri-La Dialogue, underscoring the importance of identifying multinational solutions to the transnational challenges of the twenty-first century.

All three leaders look forward to further strengthening the U.S.-Singapore defense relationship through the ongoing strategic review. Through this process, which will culminate with Minister Ng’s December visit to Washington, D.C., both sides hope to open new and innovative channels of cooperation that will bring the U.S. and Singapore even closer together.

Secretary Carter closed by sharing his appreciation for Singapore’s hospitality and assistance with coordinating his CV-22 Osprey flight over the Strait of Malacca.